


Tanked

by Highsmith (quimtessence)



Category: The Old Guard (Movie 2020)
Genre: Accidental Meetings During Booker's Exile, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Bucharest, Complicated Relationships, Crack Treated Seriously, Ficlet, Gen, Post-Movie: The Old Guard (2020)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-21
Updated: 2020-08-21
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:00:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 368
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26027614
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/quimtessence/pseuds/Highsmith
Summary: "Get the oven-baked ones."They played this exact same game in Tel Aviv three weeks ago, but all right. Joe can play. "Never had them.""They're good." He nods for emphasis.Or, a chance meeting in Bucharest.
Relationships: Booker | Sebastien le Livre & Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 23
Kudos: 161





	Tanked

**Author's Note:**

> Based on [this post and those brilliant tags](https://rhubarbdreams.tumblr.com/post/627068157576839168/alright-kids-ive-had-two-painkillers-a-nice). :D
> 
> I wrote this in an hour, while listening to the _Cowboy Bebop_ OST. This is my life now.

The studio Nicky got them in the early Nineties in Drumul Taberei is one of the nicer safe houses they own, and, seeing as Nile and Andy are on an overnight train to Vienna and not slated to return until the middle of next week, the fact that there's a neighbourhood shop open twenty-four/seven is truly a stroke of luck.

He's about to step up to the register, bag of crisps in hand and a shit-eating grin prepared for when he has to ask the cashier to ring up the bottle of lubricant on the shelf behind her, when he notices who's standing on the other side of the shop, profile turned towards Joe, consideringly staring at a fridge full of Fanta and one lonely Coke bottle.

He could let it be, but that's not really who Joe _is_. He does try to telegraph his movements as best he can, and sees the exact moment when Booker turns to face him and realises Joe's not a three AM hallucination.

"Eu nu vorbesc, uh," he tries, but, after side-eyeing the fridge as if it holds the secrets to his successful escape, he sighs defeatedly.

"Booker," Joe says, and he, too, sounds defeated to his own ears. Maybe a little confused, mostly at the atrociously-accented Romanian.

"Right," Booker says. Which probably means to express something about how this wasn't planned. He does take a few seconds to open the fridge, take out the Coke bottle and let the fridge door close on its own. Then he eyes Joe's purchase, conspicuously ignoring his raised eyebrow, and says, "Get the oven-baked ones."

They played this exact same game in Tel Aviv three weeks ago, but all right. Joe can play. "Never had them."

"They're good." He nods for emphasis.

"Huh." Joe feels compelled to add, "I think that Coke Zero is expired." Because he's pretty sure it is. He distinctly recalls putting it back on the shelf two days ago.

Booker looks at his hand and then back at Joe. Shrugs. Takes his lonely Coke bottle to the cash register. After he exchanges his regular crisps for the oven-baked variety, Joe joins him.

By the time Joe's done paying, Booker's gone.

**Author's Note:**

> "Eu nu vorbesc." = I don't speak.
> 
> Thank you for reading another reminder that Booker isn't a soulless villain, Joe doesn't owe him anything, and these guys still love each other.
> 
> Tumblr: [rhubarbdreams](https://rhubarbdreams.tumblr.com/)


End file.
